I stopped worrying about my summer plans

My planned summer activities were starting to pile up. It was the end of my junior year of high school, and there was a lot going on. I had a Bible class trip to Greece; I had plans to visit colleges; and I might be doing a cheer camp with my school team. Also, I’m part of a program for high school students who are Christian Scientists, so I was required to complete an internship that most students do over the summer. 

On top of all that, I go to boarding school, so my summers are a cherished time with my family. Now it seemed like that time was disappearing. 

I spoke with my mentor for the internship program, and we came up with some ideas, which included applying to two places that matched my interests and also happened to be near my home. Both places said they would get back to me. But as the deadline to submit my internship plan loomed, neither had responded, and I started to feel behind compared to others in the program. 

As the deadline to submit my summer plans loomed, neither internship had responded.

When I told my mom that I was worried, she said that we could pray to ease my concerns and that she would help me find more options close to home. We agreed that I needed to be open to different ideas. We talked about what it says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, that “. . . whatever blesses one blesses all” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 206). I could trust God enough to know that no matter where I ended up for my internship, I would learn something new and have a great experience. 

I also asked myself what my purpose was for doing an internship besides it being a requirement for the program. I thought about how an intern learns from their supervisor before going into a similar line of work. This made me think about the disciples—Jesus’ students. A disciple is someone who learns and receives instruction from another. I realized I could look at the internship as more than just an assignment. I could see it as an opportunity to learn more about God and to follow Him and express His qualities.

I also realized that rather than thinking this was all up to me, I could fully rely on God for the right idea to take shape. Jesus once said to his disciples, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). I asked myself, How can stress weigh me down if I understand that God is the one in control, not me? I also knew that no matter where we are, right motives and actions are always blessed by God, so I didn’t need to worry about the specifics of my internship. The stress I’d been feeling about the deadline disappeared.

I was ready to fill my calendar with anything that God had in store for me.

With these ideas in mind, I joined the monthly call for my program. After the call, I felt a strong intuition to stay on to talk to my group leader . As we talked, she brought up an idea for an internship that was during the school year. Originally, I’d brushed it off because I thought it wouldn’t work with my soccer season and busy schedule. But I had recently made the decision to switch from soccer to another extracurricular activity, so now the idea seemed more promising. 

Thinking I had missed the deadline to apply, I told myself not to get my hopes up about this internship. And even if I hadn’t missed it, I thought that I probably wouldn’t get it anyway. But when we checked, the deadline was that very day! I filled out all the paperwork, and within three hours I had turned it in. 

I waited patiently for a response, knowing that God was in control and everything would work out. A few days later, after an interview, I was thrilled to learn that I’d been accepted! All my doubts about my summer were gone, and it was clear to me that trusting in God had helped me to find the perfect solution.

Before this experience, I was bogged down by the possibility of a packed schedule that would take over my summer. But by the time I was accepted for the internship, I was ready to fill my calendar with anything that God had in store for me. Through my internship, I made friends and gained healing insights. It was an unforgettable summer filled with time for family, trips, and so much love.

I am so grateful for what I learned from this experience. God had my back through it all, and all I needed to do was be willing to put my trust in Him.